A Sioux Falls man was arrested after police said he cut off the nipples of his ex-girlfriend.

Police were called Tuesday at 5 p.m. to the 4300 block of West 58th Street.

A man and his ex-girlfriend were arguing about their relationship when police say the man punched her, slammed her head on the ground and tried to get her to stop screaming by putting pressure on her throat with his forearm, police spokesman Sam Clemens said Wednesday.

The man also tried to stuff a blanket in her mouth, Clemens said.

At that point, he went into the house and grabbed a pair of scissors. He then sat on her and cut off her nipples, Clemens said.

The woman was able to break free from him and ran outside to get help, Clemens said. The man ended up calling 911.

Tony Deval Ledbetter, 45, Sioux Falls was arrested on a charge of domestic aggravated assault. He appeared in court Thursday and is being held on a $250,000 cash-only bond. A judge ordered he have no contact with the victyim.

The woman was hospitalized, but Clemens didn’t have an update on her condition.

The case, which Clemens characterized as “disturbing,” highlights the dangers of domestic violence in the community.

“It’s something we see daily,” he said of domestic violence. “It cuts across all demographics.”

Take Back the Night, an international event aimed at eradicating domestic and sexual violence, will be held on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Sioux Falls. Amy Carter, director of Children’s Inn, said one in four women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetimes.

The event will feature a talk by Darla Krueger, a Sioux Falls woman whose brother was killed by her abuser.

Ledbetter’s criminal record in South Dakota shows several simple assault convictions, most recently in 2013. He also has stalking and simple assault domestic charges that were dismissed.

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